The present application relates to a structure containing a vertical light emitting diode (LED) and a method of forming the same.
A light emitting diode (LED) is a two-lead semiconductor light source. An LED is a p-n junction diode, which emits light when activated. When a suitable voltage is applied to the leads, electrons are able to recombine with electron holes within the device, releasing energy in the form of photons. This effect is called electroluminescence, and the color of the light (corresponding to the energy of the photon) is determined by the energy band gap of the semiconductor material used to provide the p-n junction.
Prior art devices contain lateral LEDs in which contact is made to the sidewalls of the LEDs. Lateral LEDs typically contain high resistance and thus low performance. There is thus a need for providing a structure containing a LED in which the resistance is reduced and the performance is enhanced as compared to the lateral LED containing structures of the prior art.